The modern banjo includes a plurality of models, which includes the four-string version (plectrum and tenor), five-string versions, and even six-string versions. A typical banjo consists of neck section with frets, a tail piece or peg head with the body or pot having tensioning screws and shell, a tone ring, a rim and head. Typically, the head material is a membrane made of animal skin or a polymer like Mylar that is stretched across the generally circular Tone Ring, which in turn rests upon and is connected to the shell, which is normally made of wood. A cavity within the body of the banjo is called an “air chamber.” The air chamber communicates to an outside of the banjo at a bottom portion of the shell.
Bodies of drums and banjos consist, usually, of three major concentric ringed portions which fit together under tension, as tightly as possible. Tensioning screws or brackets hold the components together and hold the head material in a stretched position. Since the quality and volume of the sounds from the instrument are directly related to the way these components fit against each other, it is critical that these components fit snugly together, with even pressure in all directions between all contacting surfaces.
Banjo manufacturers have tried to avoid the problem of imperfect fitting by substitution of a single piece part for the described components. However, this gives rise to a loss of desirable tone quality. As is well known in the trade, banjos are best made of different materials, shells of hard wood, while the contacting tone ring is best made of metal. Common problems of otherwise imperfect fitting were best resolved by excellent workmanship, tedious machine work, use of high quality materials, and well-seasoned wood. Obviously, all this is very expensive and results in a high cost of manufacture and a relatively high price to the consumer.
There is a growing need for economical simplified banjos and drums with similar characteristics that can be sold to beginning individuals who want to learn the basics of the instruments without making the large investment involved. This application describes a unique design that gives equal tension on the head material and a surprisingly good sound to the instrument.
Numerous innovations for the Simplified Banjo and Drum Body have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present design as hereinafter contrasted. The following is a summary of those prior art patents most relevant to this application at hand, as well as a description outlining the difference between the features of the Simplified Banjo and Drum Body and the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,234 of Harry C. Snavely describes a banjo sub-assembly construction disclosed as well as a method of and an apparatus for assembling this sub-assembly of the banjo. The metal tone ring and mating wooden rim are fabricated with an interference fit so as to provide a tight and permanent interface there between and thereby enhance the quality and volume of sound from the banjo instrument. A tone ring expander apparatus is used to expand the tone ring to permit the wooden rim to be easily inserted in the tone ring.
This patent describes a banjo sub-assembly construction as well as a method of and an apparatus for assembling this sub-assembly of the banjo. The metal tone ring and mating wooden rim are fabricated with an interference fit so as to provide a tight and permanent interface there between. This patent describes a conventional quality banjo and does not employ the unique upper compression ring with grooves on the lower surface or the shell having mating compression grooves on the upper edge surface to compress the head material when they are tightened together.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,492 of Geoffrey H. Stelling describes a banjo body assembly comprising, a cylindrical body shell having upper, mid- and lower wall portions, said shell having a downwardly sloping outer surface on the upper portion of said shell, a tone ring having at least one lower internal surface beveled to wedgingly mate with said outwardly sloping surface when said ring is placed on said shell, and a ring-shaped shell flange having an inner surface at least a portion of which wedgingly mates with a sloping outer surface of the mid-portion of said shell.
This patent describes a banjo body assembly but does not employ the unique upper compression ring with grooves on the lower surface or the shell having mating compression grooves on the upper edge surface to compress the head material when they are tightened together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,565 of Wu H. Hsieh describes a musical drum with a drum face, a wooden drum body and a buffer element. The buffer element is situated between the drum face and the drum body. The drum face includes a drumhead and a rim for clamping the drumhead across the buffer element by way of clamping screws. The pressure exerted by the drum head on the buffer element is absorbable by the buffer element.
This patent describes a musical drum with a drum face, a wooden drum body and a buffer element. The buffer element is situated between the drum face and the drum body. The drum face includes a drumhead and a rim for clamping the drumhead across the buffer element but does not employ the unique upper compression ring with grooves on the lower surface or the shell having mating compression grooves on the upper edge surface to compress the head material when they are tightened together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,146 of Clive W. L. Bonsor describes a musical drum that is disclosed having an outer cage to which both top and bottom counterhoops are connected in an independently adjustable manner. An intermediate hoop is provided between the top and bottom counterhoops to which a plurality of adjusting bolt assemblies for the top and bottom counterhoops are connected. The adjusting bolt assemblies for the bottom counterhoop are circumferentially offset with respect to the adjusting bolt assembles for the top counterhoop.
This patent describes a musical drum that is disclosed having an outer cage to which both top and bottom counter hoops are connected in an independently adjustable manner. This patent does not employ the unique upper compression ring with grooves on the lower surface or the shell having mating compression grooves on the upper edge surface to compress the head material when they are tightened together.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,465,86 of Anthony Passafiume describes a rim of the type used in a resonator banjo having a body that includes a head, a resonator, a tone ring and a flange for securing the head and the tone ring to the banjo, where the rim includes a generally circular housing having an inner circumference and an outer circumference, a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top end is configured to engage the tone ring, an annular shoulder portion extending around the outer circumference for engaging the flange, and an arcuate recess located below the top end and extending along, at least a portion of the inner circumference
This patent describes a rim of the type used in a resonator banjo but does not employ the unique elements of the Simplified Banjo and Drum Body.
None of these previous efforts, however, provides the benefits attendant with the Simplified Banjo and Drum Body. The present design achieves its intended purposes, objects and advantages over the prior art devices through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing readily available materials.